The present application relates to a paint roller apparatus with an accessory arm rotatably mounted on a handle of the paint roller so that the accessory on the accessory arm rotates between a first position substantially proximate to the roller of the paint roller apparatus and a second position substantially remote from the roller. Rotation of the accessory arm is facilitated by a switch located on the handle of the paint roller.
Conventional paint rollers allow for swift application of paint over large open areas on flat surfaces and for ease in loading paint onto the roller after paint is applied to the wall. However, where two surfaces are adjacent one another, and one of the surfaces is to be painted while the adjacent surface is to remain paint free or is to be painted a different color, it is difficult to apply paint to the junction of the two surfaces and to prevent paint from being applied to the adjacent surface.
Paint rollers are traditionally loaded with paint in a paint tray. Paint is poured into the tray and the roller of the paint roller is rolled in the paint. While this is a relatively quick method of loading the roller with paint, it typically results in paint being applied to the end of the roller. Accordingly, when one attempts to paint a surface, the paint on the end of the roller may be applied to the adjacent surface as the area near the junction of the surfaces is painted.
Several solutions have been proposed in order to alleviate this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,269 to Deck (xe2x80x9cDeck Patentxe2x80x9d) relates to a paint roller including a handle, one end of which includes a hand grip and the other end of which is bent perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the hand grip so as to form a shaft around which a roller can rotate. A cover plate is provided in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the roller and spaced a slight distance from the end of the roller. The cover plate is mounted on an arm supported on the handle such that the arm and cover plate can swing around the longitudinal axis of the handle and be held in a position remote from the roller. Thus, the cover plate can be positioned adjacent the roller to protect an adjacent surface and can be rotated away from the roller to allow the roller to be loaded with paint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,740 to Burns et al. (xe2x80x9cBurns Patentxe2x80x9d) includes a handle and an edge guard with four edges and a front and back face. The edge guard is pivotally and rotatably supported on a fixed arm connected to the handle. The roller sock is rotatably supported on the handle such that the roller sock may be rotated from a painting position, wherein the roller sock longitudinal axis is perpendicular to and adjacent the edge guard front face and a filling position wherein the roller sock longitudinal axis is parallel to the edge guard front face.
While the paint rollers of the Deck and Burns Patents prevent application of paint to an adjacent surface, each has limitations. For example, a user of the paint roller of the Deck Patent most likely uses two hands to slide the cover plate arm down the shaft of the handle to swing the cover plate around the longitudinal axis of the handle. Also, the Burns Patent, by rotating the roller sock instead of the edge guard, likely requires greater force to be moved since the roller is heavier than the edge guard.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a paint roller apparatus with a paint guard that protects a surface adjacent a painted surface while a user paints but also allows quick and efficient separation of the paint guard and roller so that paint can be loaded on the roller while the paint guard remains paint free.
An object of the invention is to provide a paint roller apparatus with accessory that allows for separation of the roller and accessory while paint is applied to the roller that avoids the problems described above.
It is a further object to provide a paint roller apparatus with accessory which allows for separation of the roller and accessory while paint is applied to the roller in which the separation is achieved by manipulation of a switch located on the handle.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a paint roller apparatus for applying paint to a surface, including a handle, a roller support extending from the handle, a cylindrical roller rotatably attached to the roller support for applying paint to a surface being painted and an accessory mounted on an end of an accessory arm. The accessory arm is rotatably connected to the handle to rotate from a first position to a second position. A switch assembly for rotating the accessory arm from the first position to the second position is provided, where one end of the accessory arm includes a spiral groove about a longitudinal axis of the accessory arm and a protrusion from a switch of the switch assembly engages the groove such that as the switch is moved, the protrusion moves through the spiral groove to cause the accessory arm to rotate.
The switch assembly may further include a locking button which is biased in an upward position to lock the switch into place when the accessory arm is in one of the first position and the second position. The locking button may include at least one post protruding from at least one side of the locking button such that when the button is in the upward position, the post comes into contact with a block extending down from an interior surface of the handle and prevents movement of the switch, and when the locking button is depressed, the post is lowered under the block such that the switch is moveable.
The accessory may be a paint guard including a first portion having a first and second side, the first portion pivotally attached to the end of the accessory arm, and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion such that the second portion includes at least one straight edge which extends beyond an outer periphery of the first portion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for applying paint to a surface including the steps of rotating an accessory arm, including an accessory mounted on a first end thereof, rotatably mounted on a handle of a paint roller apparatus at a second end thereof, from a first position to a second position. The rotation results from moving a switch positioned on the handle in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the handle of the paint roller apparatus. A cylindrical paint roller is lowered into a paint tray to apply paint to the cylindrical roller while the accessory remains paint free. The cylindrical roller is then removed from the paint tray. The switch is moved to return the accessory arm back to the first position. Paint is then applied to the surface being painted with the cylindrical roller.
The method of applying paint may further include steps of depressing a locking button which is biased in an upward position to lock the switch into place when the accessory arm is in one of the first position and the second position such that the switch can be moved. The accessory of the paint roller apparatus used in the method of applying paint may be a paint guard including a first portion having a first and second side, the first portion pivotally connected to the first end of the accessory arm, and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion such that the second portion includes at least one straight edge which extends beyond an outer periphery of the first portion and prevents paint from being applied to a surface adjacent to a surface being painted during the step of applying paint to the surface being painted.
Also, an object of the invention is to provide a paint roller apparatus for applying paint to a surface including a handle, a roller support extending from the handle, a cylindrical roller rotatably attached to the roller support for applying paint to the surface, an accessory mounted on an end of an accessory arm. The accessory arm is rotatably connected to the handle to rotate from a first position to a second position. A switch assembly is positioned on the handle for rotating the accessory arm from the first position to the second position when a switch of the switch assembly is moved in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle of the paint roller apparatus.
The switch assembly may further include a locking button which is biased in an upward position to lock the switch into place when the accessory arm is in one of the first position and the second position such that the switch cannot be moved.
The locking button may further include at least one post protruding from at least one side of the locking button such that when the locking button is in the upward position, the post comes into contact with a block extending down from an interior surface of the handle and prevents movement of the switch, and when the locking button is depressed, the post is lowered under the block such that the switch is moveable in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle.
The locking button may include a non-slip surface on a top thereof so that a user finger will not slip off the locking button while moving the switch.
The accessory of the paint roller apparatus may be a paint guard including a first portion having a first and second side, the first portion pivotally attached to the end of the accessory arm, and a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion such that the second portion includes at least one straight edge which extends beyond an outer periphery of the first portion and prevents paint from being applied to a surface adjacent to the painted surface.